Pompous Battlemage // Improvised Act

Card text

Prowess

This creature enters prepared. (While it's prepared, you may cast a copy of its spell. Doing so unprepares it.)

Market price

Latest aggregated market price for the normal finish of this printing: $3.10 (as of 2026-10-23).

The figure covers this printing only; other printings carry their own price on their own page.

Format legality

Legality of Pompous Battlemage // Improvised Act by format. Formats in which it is not legal are not listed.

Other printings of Pompous Battlemage // Improvised Act

Pompous Battlemage // Improvised Act has been printed in 2 sets. The other printings are listed newest first, with the rarity and release year of each.

Official rulings

The 8 most recent official rulings for Pompous Battlemage // Improvised Act, newest first.

• 2026-08-21 A creature with a prepare spell can't become prepared more than once at the same time. For example, say Bloodline Recollector is on the battlefield and is prepared. During the current turn, three creatures die. At the beginning of the end step, Bloodline Recollector's last ability triggers. When that ability resolves, since Bloodline Recollector is already prepared, the ability won't cause it to become prepared a second time or create a second copy of Ancestral Craving in exile.
• 2026-08-21 If an effect causes a creature to become unprepared, a prepared creature stops being prepared and the associated copy of its prepare spell in exile ceases to exist. If it wasn't prepared at that time, nothing happens.
• 2026-08-21 A preparation card is a creature card in every zone. For example, while it's in your graveyard, Diviner of Victory is a blue creature card whose mana value is 1. It can't be the target of Stingcaster Mage's triggered ability ("When this creature enters, target instant or sorcery card in your graveyard gains flashback until end of turn. The flashback cost is equal to its mana cost.").
• 2026-08-21 As an effect causes a creature with a prepare spell to become prepared (including effects that state that a creature "enters prepared"), that creature's controller creates a copy of that creature's prepare spell in exile. That copy remains in exile for as long as that permanent is on the battlefield and is prepared. That creature's controller may cast that copy as long as it remains in exile. As they cast it, that creature stops being prepared.
• 2026-08-21 Preparation cards can be cast only with their base characteristics.
• 2026-08-21 If a prepare spell with one or more targets has no legal targets when it tries to resolve, it won't resolve and none of its effects will happen. Since the spell was cast, the associated permanent will still not be prepared.
• 2026-08-21 If an effect instructs you to choose a card name, you may choose the alternative prepare spell's name. Consider only the alternative characteristics to determine whether that is an appropriate name to choose.
• 2026-08-21 Creating a copy of a creature's prepare spell in exile ignores copy exceptions applied to that creature that would affect the copiable values of that spell. For example, say a player casts Croaking Counterpart (a sorcery that says "Create a token that's a copy of target non-Frog creature, except it's a 1/1 green Frog") targeting Diviner of Victory. The token copy of Diviner of Victory will enter prepared as a 1/1 green Frog creature, but the copy of Unwind History in exile will still be a blue sorcery. The copy of Unwind History won't be green, a creature, or a Frog, and it won't have power or toughness.

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